-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Turning 50 is a major milestone in a person 's life -- and a country 's history .

Kenya celebrates Thursday its Golden Jubilee year following 50 years of independence from British rule .

To commemorate the event , Nairobi-based photographer Mutua Matheka teamed up with Samsung last month to launch Picha Hamsini , a photo contest celebrating the East African country 's heritage from past to present . They asked photography enthusiasts from across Kenya to submit images of people or places with historical and cultural significance and explain why these were relevant to them or the country .

`` The goal of the contest was to see and show Kenya from the eyes of Kenyans , '' says Matheka . '' -LRB- To -RRB- use images to celebrate our country and get people involved in that celebration . We have a lot we are not happy about as a country , but I believe we also have a lot to celebrate and I feel photography is usually a tool to further and foster that . ''

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The organizers received more than 2,000 images submitted via Facebook , Twitter and Istagram . In the end , the 25 best were selected and featured in a street exhibition in the center of the Kenyan capital , alongside some of Matheka 's photos .

`` The images we received were fantastic , '' says Matheka . `` Some celebrated people , others celebrated our activities , others celebrated beautiful places , '' he adds . `` The winners were mostly amateur photographers . ''

With celebrations underway across Kenya , many believe that this is also a time to look back and learn from the mistakes of the past .

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Matheka says the overriding message of the celebrations is that `` we have moved quite a distance in democracy , value of life , ability to make a living in this country from 50 years back to now . ''

He adds : `` A lot has changed for the better and a lot has changed for the worse too . I celebrate the progress and keep track of it so that for the next 50 years we try to avert from the former mistakes and progress as a nation . ''

Click through our gallery above to check out some of the competition 's best photographs .

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Kenya celebrates its 50th year of independence from British rule

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A photography competition celebrated the country 's heritage and history

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Outstanding images show people or places with historical and cultural significance